The Wildebeests - One + One b/w Teenage Letter and Gorilla Got Me

When I think of The Wildebeests, the songs from "Up Yer Pipe With..." are normally the ones that come to mind. The a-side "One + One" is an original Wildebeests tune that is currently stuck in my mind despite the fact that I have listened to other songs since hearing it today.

In classic Wildebeests fashion, the b-sides on this record are both obscure covers. The first is "Teenage Letter" by the seminal freakbeat band The Sorrows. The second is "Gorilla Got Me" by the short-lived proto-punk band Gorillas (aka The Hammersmith Gorillas). I had never heard of either of these bands before looking them up. Maybe it's because I don't hail from the UK.

Either way, I love the a-side of this record and the b-side is no slouch. "Gorilla Got Me" shows just about as well as any other Wildebeests song that they are more technically proficient than they let on. They aren't garage rockers because they don't know how to play. They know how to play and they love garage rock. Long live the lairds of boss racket! Don't give me that "Who the hootin' whelk?" business. You know who.