Couldn't agree with you more. The debut album is one of my absolute favorite albums. Like me all, but the debut always sticks with me.
Sure it counts. All of the songs were recorded prior to Turtle Soup weren't they? I'd love to know which album sessions those Wooden Head recordings came from, but I've never found any info on that. Some were b-sides weren't they? Which songs does Mark sing?
I've seen videos on YouTube where the rest of the band is trying to play and Mark is basically being an annoying distraction and adding nothing.
One person's annoyance is another person's delight. I've never seen Mark interfere with anybody's playing except possibly in a lip-synced performance where nobody is actually playing anyway. You could never accuse the Turtles of taking themselves too seriously, and that was one of their virtures. The videos are a delight. The music stands on its own. I'm sorry you don't see it for what it is.
I couldn’t agree more. 30 or so years ago I saw Mark and Howard a few times annually around New Years - I can’t remember now if they billed themselves as the Turtles or as Flo and Eddie - and it was a mix of comedy and awesome music. I enjoyed those shows immensely and couldn’t believe how funny they were.
I remember making some of the same observations when I'd see the Turtles on a TV show (Ed Sullivan, Hollywood Palladium, Shindig or whatever). I didn't know exactly what Mark's role was but enjoyed him. I'd see him run up and sing some harmony and play tambourine (Someone mentioned his tambourine playing already........a show in itself!) and generally goof around. I was somewhat of a novice Turtles fan. But when they re-surfaced with Zappa (Mark, Howard, and Jim Pons). I really took them seriously. And have followed them ever since. I regret not seeing them earlier as a live band (around the time of the 1st and 2nd albums). I did see them live until 1975. Then several times since then. They always kept a bit of the Flo and Eddie in the shows even when they were billed as using the Turtles name. I remember reading once that as they were touring as Flo and Eddie, the guy who put the first revival Monkee's tour together (his name escapes me now), later approached Flo and Eddie about doing those early package tours and they didn't want to do them. He had suggested they use the name The Turtles or use The Turtles featuring Flo and Eddie or something like that. They balked at that suggestion until he said I can get you 20K per gig instead of the 3K to 5K you are getting now. One of them said.........okay, where the Turtles!! One of them said we have kids in school like everyone else and we could really use the money. Can't blame them one bit.
Not so different. A couple of awesome musicians poking fun at themselves and not taking themselves so seriously. And lets face it, Howard alone on stage without Mark would not be nearly as entertaining. I’ve seen the old videos. They’re funny!
Also I think they have written some of the finest " the road as a rock and roll band" songs ever written. Those songs are mainly on the 2nd album (Flo and Eddie 1973) and Moving Targets 1976.
It would be interesting to hear a full length live Turles concert (during their peak in the late 60's). Does anything like that exist?
sadly the closest we'll get to a live turtles concert is live recordings on various tv shows and the live tracks on The Crossfires cd of their
I would love to hear a first hand experience of a Turtles concert especially this one since they apparently played Too Much Heartsick Feeling which Howard doesn't sing on The Turtles Setlist at Duke Indoor Stadium, Durham
The Turtles Live at CMU He doesn’t say a whole lot here, but it’s a firsthand account and he does get some answers Howard about it. Howard’s answers seem to indicate that this person would’ve seen them in fall of 1968 as opposed to ‘69 like he thought. Based on this it looks like the unknown song in the Duke setlist would have been either Surfer Dan or Teardrops. Anybody have any stories from seeing these guys in the 60s? Still got tambourine scars from sitting in the front row?
"Come To My Rescue Webelos" -- has been heard. It's definitely more "Moving Targets" than "Illegal, Immoral and Fattening" (sort of). Solo vocals for both Mark and Howard on it. Potentially being uploaded to YouTube as I type this...
Come To My Rescue Webelos is really catchy, illegal Immoral and Fattening should have been a double album of studio and live recordings like John and Yoko's Some Time In New York City
I just noticed they have a song on the California Dreaming soundtrack called Pass You By Various - California Dreaming (Music From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
My buddy went to see Mark and Howard at an old folks home doing some form of Turtles billed show which tickets were sold for. They had a nice quip for him afterwards when he approached w a Flow and Eddie LP for them to autograph, but I can’t remember what it was. Something that made me laugh when he told the story.
There are at least 3 copies of this on EBay. Two are reasonably priced and one is $50 plus shipping. I didn't check the details closely as I bought a copy in 1983.
Argh -- something else to try to track down if I get lucky. Somebody needs to figure out their entire discography...
Also looks like there are a couple of songs on the "Get Crazy" soundtrack too: "Walking In The Clouds" and a cover of "Metal Guru". Makes me wonder how many others are out there...