The Zig Zag People - Take Bubble Gum Music Underground (1968)

How many times have you bought an album for a cool title, or a wild cover only to be major disappointed? Geez, we can't even begin to count the number of times we've been disappointed ... Unlike so many other things in life, the title of of 1969's "The Zig Zag People Take Bubble Gum Underground" tells it like it is ... Produced by Vinny Testa, this hip looking five piece was apparently a studio entity (the back cover credits listed Peter Braune, J.Q Brown, Sal Cervelle, Michael Dean and Ralph Vincent as the band members). So what about the music? Anyone who loves original bubblegum hits by the likes of The 1910 Fruitgum Company, The Music Explosion and The Ohio Express probably wants to avoid this set like the plague. On the other hand, if your willing to listen to some radically different cover versions, then this is worth a peak. As you'd expect, some of these remakes are great; some merely bad ideas gone horribly astray (avoid stoned Chipmunks-styled cover of "Indian Giver"). We won't describe each track, but highlights include a fuzz guitar drenched/take-no-prisoners "Little Bit of Soul", a drastically slowed down, pseudo-dirge take on "Chewy Chewy" (complete with way cool droning bagpipes and fuzz guitar) and a bet you can't recognize it "Hanky Panky". There were also a pair of amazing non-covers.

Penned by arranger Murphy Earle and Jack Murphy, "Sally Goes To the Dentist (Available In 8 & 16MM)" and "Peel It Off Your Face" (complete with reference to bubblegum gurus Kasentz and Katz), were both great slices of late-'60s psychedelia. All told, one of the biggest surprises we've encountered over the last couple of years and an LP we continually come back to. (source)

Mike Brown (drums)

Ralph Maccio (vocals)

Sal Cervellera (guitar)

Mike Moccio (keyboards)

Peter Baraun (bass)