Recorded nearly 30 years apart, I decided to put these tracks together as a double bill because they are tangentially linked by motor bikes.
In the case of Pachinko’s fantastic mosh-out, Cecil, the motorbike association is a loose one, provided by the sample of Evel Knievel giving an anti-drug talk. I had hoped for one brief, glorious moment that Cecil might have been Knievel’s birth name and an inspiration for the song’s title, but that flight of fancy died out when I learned his real Christian name was Robert.
Scrambler was recorded for The Kickstands sole 1964 album, Black Boots and Bikes. It found its way onto Peel’s playlist for this programme due to its inclusion on the Boss Drag ‘64 compilation album. The Kickstands - who included future Beach Boys songwriter/Byrds producer Gary Usher among their number - avoid the terrible levels of over-production which marred Gear Masher by The Deuce Coupes from the same compilation. Given space to play, they produce an enjoyably funky guitar-brass swing number, which was placed as the final track on their album, meaning that the recurring guitar slide note at the end of each verse sounds like a motorbike taking off into the distance. Had the production staff on the BBC’s 1980s moto-cross show, Kick Start been a little more musically clued up, then Scrambler would have made a perfect alternative theme tune.
If you’ve enjoyed these two tracks, I’d encourage you to listen to Idaho Durt by Red Red Meat which opens with a short cover of Scrambler and features more of the wit and wisdom of Evel Knievel throughout.
Videos courtesy of The Kickstands - Topic and Irresponsableful
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