Before he became Patti Smith’s lead guitarist, Lenny Kaye compiled the two-album set Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era. Released in 1972, the two-LP set covered American garage rock and psychedelia from 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 5/118
From: Long Island, New York
Aphoristic Rating: 7/10
RESPECT – The Vagrants [2:12]
(Otis Redding)
Personnel/PETER SABATINO: vocals * LESLIE WEINSTEIN (WEST): guitar * JERRY STORCH: organ * LARRY WEINSTEIN (WEST): bass, vocals * ROGER MONSOUR: drums
Produced by DAVE BRIGATI & LARRY VERNIERI for BRIGARO MUSIC LTD.
Recorded in New York, NY
Atco single #45-6473 (3/67)
Of the dozens of bands on Nuggets, only a small handful became famous musicians. Todd Rundgren, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Raspberries, and Ted Nugent had early recordings featured on Nuggets. Mountain’s Leslie West is another, with his work with The Vagrants included.
The Vagrants were a New York-based blue-eyed soul band, similar to The Rascals. They never released an album but put out a string of singles in the mid-1960s. They were well connected, appearing on stage with The Doors, The Who, and a young Billy Joel (a member of another Long Island band, The Hassles). A cover of Otis Redding’s ‘Respect’ is featured on Nuggets.
It’s a nice version of the song, with a husky vocal and a busy arrangement. But it’s not surprising that it wasn’t a hit – especially given that it came out around the same time as Aretha Franklin’s dynamic cover.
In 1969 Leslie West formed Mountain with Felix Pappalardi. Mountain are best known for the classic rock staple ‘Mississippi Queen’.
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While I feel it’s pretty much mission impossible to beat Otis Redding or Aretha Franklin, I really like where The Vagrants took “Respect,” turning it from a soul song to a neat garage rocker. I also don’t get tired of that typical ’60s organ sound, which I assume is a Vox Continental.
AllMusic says they mostly used a Hammond organ.
I thought it was a Vox, but I’m certainly not the ultimate expert, and it can sound similar to a Hammond. In any case, I dig that keyboard part! 🙂
We should do an organ identification class sometime – I guess Hammond, Vox, Farfisa are some of the main ones. I like Rick Wakeman’s story about playing the organ on Yes’s ‘Awaken’ in a church, and recording it down Switzerland’s pristine telephone service.
I won’t compare it to other versions…it stands on it’s own. Really damn good version and they have the same spirit of those other versions. I love that Hammond Organ as well…I don’t know much about Leslie West…just his Mountain music plus some of his live music.
Leslie West still feels like one of the ten biggest breakout stars from the Nuggets set – I only know a couple of Mountain songs though.
I don’t know a lot by them but I’ve liked what I’ve heard…I like West but he had a huge ego at one time…he was going to join Lynyrd Skynyrd when Ed King quit but he demanded they be called “Lynyrd Skynyrd featuring Leslie West”….they passed wisely.
Yeah, that’s a pretty extreme demand…