The Teemates - Jet Set Dance Vol.4: Discotheque
Posted on November 1, 2007 by Kris Holmes
There is something that keeps me needle dropping sixties "youth-dancesploitation" LPs. Many of them look pretty tame but often end up hiding some really knock out tracks (many of them also do not, but let's focus on the positives).
Take this example from 1964, intended as a stereo demonstration LP of sorts it has a band called the Teemates running through 14 tracks. Included amongst the covers of Hard Day's Night, Oh Pretty Woman etc. are even four of the band's original tunes. I don't know if the Teemates were a "real" band or a bunch of session players coupled together to cash-in on the dance hits of the day (frug, slop, monkey…) but the back cover includes biographies of the band, so I guess they may have been legit. Released by the Audio Fidelity Record Company, the back cover tells you which of "today's" dance crazes are best suited to each track. Luckily there are at least five awesome songs on this LP: C'Mon & Swim, Movin' Out, Mashed Potatoes-Yeah!, Walk Don't Run-64 & Nightfall. They rank among the best garage rock that I have heard from an LP such as this. I have no idea what Vol's.1-3 are like though.
Teemates: "Movin' Out", "C'mon & Swim"
edit: I just read online that The Teemates were in fact a "real" band from New Jersey, this is their only LP, they also may have had at least two 45s released as well. This record was re-released by Capitol & these later versions may have had Audio Fidelity labelled LPs in Capitol labelled jackets. The one I reviewed has no mention of Capitol anywhere on it though so must be one of the earlier ones. I suppose that means that Vol's.1-3 of the series are by different bands & may not be as good as this one? Interesting, still a cool record if not as unknown as it originally appeared.
Filed under: Garage / Freakbeat, Pop / Rock
7 Comments to “The Teemates - Jet Set Dance Vol.4: Discotheque”
beautiful! (Movin’out has been comped on Hipsville Vol. 0Two) whereas C’mon&Swim is still uncomped.
Thanks for posting!
Hi Richard,
Thanks for the link to the website, lots of good info to be found on the band there for sure. It’s always cool to have people involved with the records find the reviews.
Richard Staff is my father and I can tell you that The Teemates was a real band and one of the best. Thier music has both inspired me and my sister and impressed the heck outta all my friends. So check out his site and see for yourself. Thanks
I remember the Teemates, There was a guitar player(Gary Mercury) in the original band.
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“There is something that keeps me needle dropping sixties “youth-dancesploitation” LPs.”
word. this shit is great!!