The Bad Roads were from Lake Charles, Louisiana and this, their first single, contains two sides of absolutely top drawer garage punk. It was recorded at Cajun and Swamp Pop producer Floyd Soileau’s studio and released on his JIN label in August 1966.
The band would play from Natchez to Houston, and north to Shreveport at places like The Golden Slipper in Baton Rouge, LeFluer’s Roller Rink in Sulphur, and the Catacombs in Houston (where they were on the same bill as the likes of The Moving Sidewalks and The Countdown Five), and The Puppy Pen in their home town, an abandoned officers’ club on the Air Force base that had been turned into a teen club.
‘Blue Girl’ is full of Stones-inspired attitude and is propelled along by a very catchy fuzz guitar riff (and has a great guitar break in the middle).
‘Too Bad’ is a more moody affair and just when you think it isn’t going to live up to ‘Blue Girl’ it hits you with its “outside looking in” refrain and you are hooked!
The single was a local hit, and received enough airplay in Houston for the band to appear on television on The Larry Kane Show.
On their second, and final, single they covered The Kinks’ ‘Til the End of the Day’ and Them’s ‘Don’t Look Back’.
Reissues: Eva’s Louisiana Punk Groups From The Sixties has both sides of the single plus the a-side of their second offering; Sundazed put out a vinyl EP featuring all four sides of the two singles.
Discography
- Blue Girl / Too Bad (JIN, 1966)
- Till the End of the Day / Don’t Look Back (Rain Tyre, 1967)
