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While  became one of the great bubblegum "bands" with hits like "Yummy Yummy Yummy" and "Chewy Chewy," they began as a jack-of-all-trades garage band, as this album they cut in 1967 for Cameo shows. Maybe that's because the album is actually made up of recordings made by three different bands and all bundled together under the  name by producers  and . The duo cut the song "Beg, Borrow and Steal" in 1965 with a New York band called the Conquests, who they renamed . Though it was a fun "Louie Louie" ripoff, the single flopped. They had faith in the song, however, and put it out again under the name . This time the song was a small hit and  and  wanted to find a real band to become , and maybe have some more hits. They drafted in the Ohio band Sir Timothy & the Royals, brought them to N.Y.C., and quickly cut an album that's filled with some really strong songs and performances, including sweetly sung soft pop ballads ("And It's True," "I Find I Think of You"), a couple urgent folk-rockers ("Had to Be Me," "Stop Take a Look Around"), a very  sounding song ("I Know We'll Be Together"), and some stomping garage rock ("Hard Times" and a take on ' "Try It," which was co-written by , the future voice of ). The negatives (a not too soulful version of "Soul Struttin'" and the way too groovy "It's Too Groovy," which points out the dangers of letting the drummer write a song to fill out the album) don't detract from the positives very much and the album ends up as an enjoyable garage pop nugget. Oh, that third band! For some reason  and  decided to bolster the songs recorded with the guys from Sir Timothy & the Royals with songs recorded by another Ohio-based garage band, . They featured a young  on guitar (though not on these songs) and were responsible for the two aforementioned ballads on the album. All this wheeling and dealing behind the scenes was typical of the times and makes the album kind of fascinating in a weird way. While it's not exactly a lost classic, it's a fun diversion as well as a vital piece of the bubblegum puzzle.

 

 

1967 LP Released on Cameo Records # CS-20,000 (Stereo).
  
. This is a Sealed Album and will Provide you with Brilliant Sound Quality from your Player. Slightly rounded corners. There is a drilled hole on bottom left corner.