THE SPLENDID BOHEMIANS PRESENT: THE SUNNY SIDE OF MY STREET with THE "MIGHTY MEZ" - SONGS TO MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD - EPISODE #39: MENDOCINO by The Sir Douglas Quintet (Smash, 1969)

DIG THIS WITH BILL MESNIK AND RICH BUCKLAND- THE SPLENDID BOHEMIANS

Starting with the salutary opening voice over: “The Sir Douglas Quintet is back, we’d like to thank all our beautiful friends all over the country and all the beautiful vibrations, we love you…” - this Tex-Mex, flower-power rave up let’s you know that you’re in for a groovy ride. Doug Sahm’s Tejana inflected combo from the borderlands broke up after their weed bust, and he relocated to the Bay Area where his head was turned around by the Hippies up there. Inspired by what he was experiencing, he re-recruited 3 of his original compatriots, including his childhood friend, the sizzling Vox organist, Augie Myers, and they produced this powerful tribute to the Northern California scene.

I didn’t know much about this group, and what I did know was fabricated. They were dubbed The Sir Douglas Quintet by their record producer in order to capitalize on the British Invasion juggernaut that was happening in ’65, and their first single, She’s About a Mover struck gold. That’s all I knew until I heard this anthem with its indelible organ riff, and then my radar was properly installed. Years later, when Sundazed released The Mono Singles ’68-’72 I immediately bought it and it overstimulated my CD player. What a collection! Every cut is a gem.

The one time child prodigy who appeared with Hank Williams at the age of 12, before the Hillbilly Shakespeare met his untimely fate, also died too young. Doug Sahm was only 58 when he passed, but he left behind a trove of unforgettable music.