Pebbles, Volume 1


Pebbles is a compilation of US underground and garage single record releases from the mid- to late-1960s. It had a limited original release in 1978 and a more general release in 1979 ; this album was followed by several subsequent Pebbles compilations and albums. This album is nowadays known as Pebbles, Volume 1 and was originally issued in 1978 as Pebbles, Volume One: Artyfacts from the First Punk Era, an obvious riff on , a similar, groundbreaking compilation from 1972.

Release data

The Pebbles album was originally released as an LP on Mastercharge Records in 1978 as a collaborative effort of several collectors in a limited edition of just 500 copies. The album had no catalogue number and a plain pink-and-black cover sheet; it had the appearance of a bootleg recording. Greg Shaw was probably one of the collectors involved in this album, since the on-line listing of the original liner notes is marked as being "Courtesy of Greg Shaw". The AIP label that he founded released the later volumes in the series. The Mastercharge label appears to have been created only for this release and is apparently not a real record company.
The release of this album on BFD in 1979 gained the record and the Pebbles series wide recognition. AIP kept the LP in print for many years.
AIP issued the first volume in the Pebbles series in CD format in 1992. Although the CD has bonus tracks and a colored cover, the two formats are largely the same album and even have similar catalogue numbers. Also, ESD released an earlier edition of Pebbles, Volume 1 on CD in 1989 with almost completely different tracks.
Two box sets of the first five volumes of the Pebbles series have also been released, the Pebbles Box on LP and the Trash Box on CD.
In 2008, apparently in honor of the 30th anniversary of this landmark compilation album, Bomp began offering a reissue of the first Pebbles album in clear vinyl, complete with a reproduction of the original pink insert. As with the original release, this special reproduction is limited to 500 copies. This edition was made with the BFD masters, so the skip in "Action Woman" is still in place, and "Crackin' Up" by the Wig is missing.

Omitted tracks on the CD

Due to a mastering error, the tracks printed on the cover copy for the CD differ somewhat from the tracks actually included on the album. Two songs were listed on the tray card that are not included on the album: "Crackin' Up", by The Wig and "I Need Love" by The Third Booth. Also, the Shadows of Knight song is split into two tracks on the CD.
Also, when AIP issued the early volumes of CDs, they omitted some tracks from the corresponding LP for the stated reason that they were already widely available on other anthologies. In this case, another track on the LP is not included on the CD: "Going All the Way", by the Squires.

Track listing

LP

Side 1:
  1. The Litter: "Action Woman", 2:30 — rel. 1967
  2. The Preachers: "Who Do You Love", 2:11 — rel. 1965
  3. The Floyd Dakil Combo: "Dance Franny Dance", 2:10 — rel. 1964
  4. The Outcasts: "I'm in Pittsburgh ", 1:56 — rel. 1966
  5. The Squires: "Going All the Way", 2:18, — rel. 1966, vinyl-only track
  6. The Grains of Sand: "Going Away Baby", 2:10 — rel. 1966
  7. The JuJus: "You Treat Me Bad", 2:18 — rel. 1966
  8. The Haunted: "1-2-5", 2:46 — rel. 1966
Side 2:
  1. The Soup Greens: "Like a Rolling Stone", 2:40 — rel. 1965
  2. The Wig: "Crackin' Up", 2:18 — rel. 1966, Listed on the Cover and Label, but Not Actually on the Album
  3. Positively 13 O'Clock: "Psychotic Reaction", 2:00 — rel. 1966
  4. Kim Fowley: "The Trip", 2:00 — rel. 1965
  5. The Elastik Band: "Spazz", 2:45 — rel. 1967
  6. The Split Ends: "Rich with Nothin'", 2:15 — rel. 1966
  7. The Shadows of Knight: "Potato Chip", 3:23 — rel. 1967
  8. The Wilde Knights: "Beaver Patrol", 2:16 — rel. 1965

    CD

  9. The Litter: "Action Woman" — rel. 1967
  10. The Preachers: "Who Do You Love" " — rel. 1965
  11. The Floyd Dakil Combo: "Dance Franny Dance" — rel. 1964
  12. The Outcasts: "I'm in Pittsburgh " — rel. 1966
  13. The Grains of Sand: "Going Away Baby" — rel. 1966
  14. The JuJus: "You Treat Me Bad" — rel. 1966
  15. The Haunted: "1-2-5" — rel. 1966
  16. The Soup Greens: "Like a Rolling Stone" — rel. 1965
  17. Positively 13 O'Clock: "Psychotic Reaction" — rel. 1966
  18. Kim Fowley: "The Trip" " — rel. 1965
  19. The Elastik Band: "Spazz" — rel. 1967
  20. The Split Ends: "Rich with Nothin'" — rel. 1966
  21. The Shadows of Knight: "Radio Spot" — rel. 1967
  22. The Shadows of Knight: "Potato Chip" — rel. 1967
  23. The Wilde Knights: "Beaver Patrol" — rel. 1965
  24. The Sparkles: "Ain't No Friend of Mine" — rel. 1967, CD bonus track
  25. GONN: "Blackout of Gretely" — rel. 1966, CD bonus track
  26. The Weeds: "It's Your Time" — rel. 1966, CD bonus track
  27. Echo & the Bunnymen: "Action Woman" — rel. 1985, CD bonus/surprise track

    Reception

Gary Mullinax, writing for The Morning News of Wilmington, Delaware, found the album's sound "crude" but "also powerful". Charity Stafford of AllMusic described the CD reissue as "an excellent second step into the garage rock underground."

Release history

LP

Mastercharge Records — 1978
BFD Records — 1979
AIP Records – several reissues

CD

— 1992