THE FLAMIN' GROOVIES - Shake Some Action 7''

THE FLAMIN' GROOVIES  Shake Some Action / Teenage Confidential   7''  2012 (1976)
Produced by Dave Edmunds.
The Flamin' Groovies: Cyril Jordan: guitar, vocals / Chris Wilson: vocals, guitar / James Farrell: guitar / George Alexander: bass, vocals / David Wright: drums.

A latter-day formation of the Flamin' Groovies laid down this rock & roll anthem on its Dave Edmunds-produced 1976 album of the same name. The Groovies' minimal, roots-of-rock style fit right in with the stripped-down punk rock coming out of England at the time, though it was not meant to compete with the new, underground sound. Rather, it was an attempt at a real Top 40 single reminiscent of a British Invasion tune, with all the right elements: great chorus, gigantic guitar riff, and a drum sound recalling the iconic Phil Spector sound. Cyril Jordan co-wrote it with Chris Wilson who'd become his songwriting partner after Roy Loney's departure from the group in 1971. Alas, the shimmering jangle-rocker failed to crack the charts, but its abiding spirit-of-rock & roll vibe forever canonized the group and the song into the hall of all that's great about rock & roll. Teenage rebellion is rock's stock-in-trade and it remained the Groovies' musical raison d'être throughout the course of its long career. A few covers of the song exist: Cracker's straight-ahead version for the 1995 soundtrack to Clueless but also versions by The Kissing Bandits, Tommy Keene, The Farm, Counting Crows, Mood Six...
You can compare this version with the one (the french Philips LP pressing) my friend Mihaleez  has posted on his White Trash Soul blog.