SONG OF THE DAY The Naturals – The Hook

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How absolutely excited am I to be sharing this little smasher with you today!! This song sounds like it was recorded in someone’s garage (I guess that’s why they called it garage rock) and that is exactly what I LOVE about this!!

In all its unpolished, raw glory, this is just perfect as it is!! Hark at those drums as they shuffle along, the glistening crispness of the cymbals offsetting that bass groove as it rocks out a mighty beat!! The guitar just makes me shiver in all the right ways and the vocals sound like they have come from another planet (or maybe just another room) but it echo’s out a rhythm of its very own and when those drums come together every so often to unleash one of those little rolls, its just glorious!!!!

Rather aptly named, The Naturals were a US garage rock outfit active in the mid-1960’s. As is often the case with many of the band’s of that era, they came and went in a blink.  They released just one 45 in 1965 on a small Californian label called Archer Records, with all writing credits for both songs going to the band. On the A-side of this single was The Hook (also aptly named), accompanied on the flipside by another little beauty called Long Lost Love (see below). This was it, this was all they ever issued  and for one brief moment when the musical stars were aligned, out came this piece of sonic magic!

There is nothing else out there about The Naturals, but I have just found a comment on Youtube under one of their tracks which was posted by a Rick Ventriglia. He was apparently the rhythm guitarist in the band and this is what he wrote…

“My name is Rick (Richard Ventriglia. I played rhythm guitar on this record. The band members were myself, Jim Higgins (lead guitar), Bob Lucarelli (drums), Artie Higgins (bass guitar) and Rick Nordstrom (singer). We recorded this record in the teaching room next to the music store that was owned by John White who published this song. I had my one copy of this record for years but have since lost it. Brings back so many great memories.

There were only 50 originally pressed. Each band member got one, the store owner got 20 to sell at his music store and the rest were given away at local place where the band played. That was the only recording we made….”