

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 104: The Witch by The Sonics
Release Date: 1964 (re-released 1965)
From: Tacoma, Washington
Aphoristical Rating: 9/10
THE WITCH – The Sonics [2:17]
(Gerald Roslie)
Personnel/GERRY ROSLIE: vocals, piano * LARRY PARYPA: guitar * ANDY PARYPA: bass * BOB BENNETT: drums * ROB LIND: sax
An ETIQUETTE Production
Recorded in Tacoma, WA
Etiquette single #ET-11 (11/64); Jerden single #810 (11/66)
The Sonics are another relatively well-known group from the Nuggets set. They were a favourite of Kurt Cobain and named as an influence by The White Stripes. They were formed in 1960 by teenage guitarist Larry Parypa, initially playing instrumental R&B with his brother Andy on bass. The classic lineup solidified in 1964 with Gerry Roslie, whose frenetic lead vocals resemble Little Richard.
With Roslie on vocals, The Sonics quickly became popular. They signed to Etiquette Records and released their first single in November 1964 – ‘The Witch’, with a Little Richard song on the b-side. It became the highest-selling local record in the Northwest.
‘The Witch’ is fast-paced, the drum sound is confronting, and Roslin’s vocals are intense, all creating parallels to punk. At the same time, The Sonics are also a tight R&B band with a saxophone – ‘The Witch’ sounds like a 1964 record, just with more intensity and rawer production than usual.
The Sonics drifted apart in the late 1960s, with saxophonist Rob Lind serving as a fighter pilot in Vietnam and other members attending university. The band continued with none of the classic members involved until 1980. The use of their version of ‘Have Love, Will Travel’ in a 2004 TV ad raised their profile and the band reformed in 2007. Larry Parypa, Roslie, and Lind all returned, and the band released a new album This is the Sonics in 2015. Parypa and Roslie have retired from touring, but the band is still active with Lind on saxophone.
Read More
More Nuggets
Nuggets: Double Shot (Of My Baby’s Love) by The Swingin’ Medallions

Nuggets II: Break It All by Los Shakers

Nuggets II: The Train to Disaster by The Voice

Nuggets II: Vacuum Cleaner by Tintern Abbey

Nuggets: Outside Chance by The Turtles

Nuggets: Story of My Life by The Unrelated Segments

Nuggets: Complication by The Monks

Nuggets II: You Can Be My Baby by The Red Squares

Nuggets: Open My Eyes by Nazz

Nuggets: Journey To The Center Of The Mind by The Amboy Dukes

Nuggets II: The Bitter Thoughts Of Little Jane by Timon

Nuggets II: Get Yourself Home by The Fairies

Nuggets: Live by The Merry-Go-Round

Nuggets: Laugh, Laugh by The Beau Brummels

Nuggets: Fight Fire by The Golliwogs

Nuggets: Steppin’ Out by Paul Revere & the Raiders

Nuggets: Dirty Water by The Standells

Nuggets: Knock, Knock by The Humane Society

Nuggets: Blackout of Gretely by GONN

Nuggets: I Ain’t No Miracle Worker by The Brogues

Nuggets: You Must Be A Witch by The Lollipop Shoppe

Nuggets: Psycho by The Sonics

Nuggets: Journey to Tyme by Kenny and the Kasuals

Nuggets: Why Do I Cry by The Remains

Nuggets: Jack of Diamonds by The Daily Flash

Nuggets: The Witch by The Sonics

Nuggets: Diddy Wah Diddy by Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band

Nuggets: I See the Light by The Five Americans

Nuggets: Too Many People by The Leaves

Nuggets II: Come On by The Atlantics

Nuggets II: It’s My Fault by The Rattles

Nuggets: I Live in the Springtime by The Lemon Drops

Baby, Please Don’t Go by The Amboy Dukes

Nuggets: (We Ain’t Got) Nothin’ Yet by the Blues Magoos

Nuggets: Strychnine by The Sonics

Nuggets II: Flight from Ashiya by Kaleidoscope

Nuggets: What Am I Going to Do? by The Dovers

10 Best Songs on the Nuggets Boxset

Nuggets II: My Life by Thor’s Hammer

Nuggets: Tobacco Road by Blues Magoos

Sugar and Spice by The Cryan’ Shames

Nuggets: My World Fell Down by Sagittarius

Nuggets: Mr. Pharmacist by The Other Half

Nuggets II: One Third by The Majority

Nuggets: I Wonder by The Gants

Nuggets: Bad Girl by The Zakary Thaks

Nuggets: An Invitation to Cry by The Magicians

Nuggets: Hey Joe by the Leaves

Nuggets II: Why Don’t You Smile Now by Downliners Sect

Nuggets: Mirror Of Your Mind by We The People

Nuggets: Johnny Was A Good Boy by Mystery Trend

Nuggets: No Time Like The Right Time by The Blues Project

Nuggets: So What! by The Lyrics

Nuggets: Falling Sugar by The Palace Guard

Nuggets: Are You Gonna Be There (At The Love In) by The Chocolate Watchband

Nuggets: At the River’s Edge by New Colony Six

Nuggets: Optical Sound by The Human Expression

Nuggets: Bad Little Woman by The Shadows of Knight

Nuggets: Sit Down, I Think I Love You by The Mojo Men

Nuggets: Blue's Theme by Davie Allan & the Arrows

Nuggets II: Pictures of Matchstick Men by The Status Quo

Nuggets II: Real Crazy Apartment by Winston’s Fumbs

Nuggets: Shape of Things to Come by Max Frost & The Troopers

Nuggets: Spazz by The Elastik Band

Nuggets: Just Like Me by Paul Revere & the Raiders

Nuggets II: Bad Little Woman by The Wheels

Nuggets: I’m Five Years Ahead of My Time by The Third Bardo

Nuggets: Last Time Around by The Del-Vetts

Nuggets II: The Madman Running Through The Fields by Dantalian’s Chariot

Nuggets: I’m Gonna Make You Mine by The Shadows of Knight

Nuggets II: Kicks and Chicks by The Zipps

Nuggets: It’s Cold Outside by The Choir

Nuggets II: I Wish I Was Five by Scrugg

Nuggets: Codine by The Charlatans

Nuggets II: No Good Without You Baby by The Birds

Nuggets II: Touch by The Outsiders

Nuggets: Voices Green and Purple by The Bees

Nuggets: Can’t Seem To Make You Mine by The Seeds

Nuggets: Wooly Bully by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs

Nuggets: I Need You by The Rationals

Nuggets: Respect by The Vagrants

Nuggets: Double Yellow Line by The Music Machine

Nuggets: A Public Execution by Mouse

Nuggets: Out Of Our Tree by The Wailers

Nuggets: Follow Me by Lyme & Cybelle

Nuggets: (Would I Still Be) Her Big Man by The Brigands

Nuggets II: Dance Around the Maypole by Acid Gallery

Nuggets: Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out) by The Hombres

Nuggets II: But You’ll Never Do It, Babe by The Boots

Nuggets: Psychotic Reaction by Count Five

Nuggets: Maid of Sugar – Maid of Spice by Mouse and the Traps

Nuggets II: Sad by The (Australian) Playboys

Nuggets: 7 and 7 Is by Love

Nuggets: Time Won’t Let Me by The Outsiders

Nuggets: Get Me to the World on Time by The Electric Prunes

Nuggets: Romeo and Juliet by Michael and the Messengers

Nuggets: Little Bit O’Soul by The Music Explosion

Nuggets: Talk Talk by The Music Machine

Nuggets II: Rosalyn by The Pretty Things

Nuggets: Mindrocker by Fenwyck

Nuggets: No Friend of Mine by The Sparkles

Nuggets: Let’s Talk About Girls by The Chocolate Watchband

Nuggets II: Glendora by Downliners Sect

Nuggets: Oh Yeah by The Shadows of Knight

Nuggets: Hold Me Now by The Rumors

Nuggets: Pushin’ Too Hard by The Seeds

Nuggets: Stop! Get A Ticket by Clefs of Lavender Hill

Nuggets: You Ain’t Tuff by The Uniques

Nuggets: Primitive by The Groupies

Nuggets: Put the Clock Back on the Wall by The E-Types

Nuggets: I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night) by The Electric Prunes

Nuggets: The Trip by Kim Fowley

Nuggets II: I’m Just A Mops by The Mops

Nuggets: Going All the Way by The Squires

Nuggets: A Question of Temperature by The Balloon Farm

Nuggets: Nobody But Me by The Human Beinz

Nuggets: The Little Black Egg by The Nightcrawlers

Nuggets: Are You A Boy Or Are You A Girl by The Barbarians

Nuggets: Liar, Liar by The Castaways

Nuggets: I Want Candy by The Strangeloves

Nuggets: Action Woman by The Litter

Nuggets: I Think I’m Down by the Harbinger Complex

Nuggets: Who Do You Love by The Woolies

Nuggets: Beg, Borrow, And Steal by The Rare Breed

Nuggets: One Track Mind by The Knickerbockers

Nuggets II: Nothin’ by Ugly Ducklings

Nuggets: Lies by The Knickerbockers

Nuggets: Open Up Your Door by Richard & the Young Lions

Nuggets II: No Presents For Me by The Pandamonium

Nuggets: Incense and Peppermints by Strawberry Alarm Clock

Nuggets: You’re Gonna Miss Me by The 13th Floor Elevators

Nuggets: Louie Louie by The Kingsmen

Nuggets: Love's Gone Bad by The Underdogs

Nuggets: Moulty by The Barbarians

Nuggets II: How Does It Feel to Feel by The Creation

Nuggets II: No More Now by The Smoke

Nuggets II: Slaves Time by The Slaves

Nuggets: Why Pick On Me by The Standells

Nuggets II: I’m Your Witchdoctor by Chants R&B

Nuggets: Run, Run, Run by The Gestures

Nuggets: Don’t Look Back by The Remains

Nuggets: She’s About A Mover by Sir Douglas Quintet

Nuggets: Sometimes Good Guys Don’t Wear White by The Standells

Nuggets: Night Time by The Strangeloves

Nuggets II: Here Come the Nice by The Small Faces

Nuggets II: When The Alarm Clock Rings by the Blossom Toes

Nuggets: Little Girl by Syndicate of Sound

Nuggets: It’s A-Happening by The Magic Mushrooms

Nuggets: You Burn Me Up and Down by We The People

Nuggets II: Bat Macumba by Os Mutantes

Nuggets: Sweet Young Thing by The Chocolate Watchband

Nuggets: Farmer John by The Premiers

Nuggets: She’s My Baby by The Mojo Men

Nuggets: Run, Run, Run by The Third Rail

19 Comments
Leave a ReplyCancel reply
Read about the discographies of musical acts from the 1960s to the present day. Browse this site's review archives or enjoy these random selections:
More review pages
The Police Album Reviews
1970s - Punk and New Wave
Josh Rouse Album Reviews
2000s
Punk and New Wave Reviews
1970s - Punk and New Wave
I add new blog posts to this website every week. Browse the archives or enjoy these random selections:
More blog posts
10 Best Wilco Songs
1990s,2000s,Song Lists,The Ten Best Songs By...
10 Best Tears For Fears Songs
1980s,Song Lists,The Ten Best Songs By...
Celebrate the News by The Beach Boys: Great B-Sides
1960s,Great B-Sides
10 Best Tom Waits Songs
1970s,1980s,1990s,The Ten Best Songs By...
10 Best Cat Stevens Songs
1970s,Song Lists,The Ten Best Songs By...
Talking Heads Albums: Ranked from Worst to Best
Album Rankings
Subscribe
Subscribe to receive new posts from Aphoristic Album Reviews.












when I first saw the headline I thought interesting change of pace covering basketball with the Nuggets and Sonics. then realized my mistake. never heard of them but I do enjoy 60s music history. nice job.
If I was going to cover basketball I’d go for the Thunder (formerly the Sonics) as they had a NZer for a long stint (Steven Adams).
Rocks pretty furiously!
It’s pretty hard-edged for 1964, for sure.
I like the dirty sound of this recording. I was going to cover this one a while back. The recording sounds like the Kingsmen’s records…they were from Portland.
I wonder why Louie Louie wasn’t the biggest-selling Northwest song. Maybe they didn’t write it? It’s coming up on Nuggets disc 4, so I’ll get there soon. I’ve been reading my 6 year old the Ramona books, and they’re set in the Northwest.
No they didn’t write it… I’ve never been there before but I did hear it was beautiful…just rainey.
I love the Sonics – maybe my favorite band on this compilation. The lead vocalist sounds unhinged which adds to the mystique of the bsnd – like you said esp for 1964. And really presaged punk
One of the only Nuggets bands where I should maybe hunt down a full album, or at least a Greatest Hits.
I hope to get back to this series when time allows, Graham.
Cool – I’m only writing once a fortnight so you’re not too far behind.
I foresee a lovely hour catching up as I listen.
Pour yourself a cup of tea.
This is a good one and still the stand out of the few Sonics tunes I’ve heard. I really need to grab a compilation.
This is the only one I know, but it’s pretty awesome.
No surprises here – full marks! Woohoo for Nuggets, crank it!
Up to 11.
Is there any other way?
I know this one and was turned onto them by one of our music friends.