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These guys are a Saint Louis original. They play the kind of stuff the Beatles played before they were the Beatles (or maybe they were the Beatles but nobody heard of them yet). It’s sort of a cross between Merseybeat and Skiffle, and they are a hoot. When they play everyone has a good time. Excellent music to drink to (click the movie image above to download).
5 Responses to “Episode #19 LONG JOHN THOMAS AND THE DUFFS”
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The Duffs actually play more in the style of traditional early ’60s British beat music (or “Merseybeat”), so you’re right about the early Beatles comparison. But an even better one would be artists like Cliff Richard, The Shadows, or Johnny Kidd and The Pirates. Johnny Kidd actually had a skiffle band in the ’50s, but it evolved into the Pirates which was decidedly more rock’n'roll than skiffle. Skiffle was a mixture of jazz and country blues that began in the US in the 1930s and was played with simple instruments like acoustic guitar, harmonica, jug, kazoo, washboard, and washtub bass. A skiffle revival in Britain in the 1950s led to the careers of Lonnie Donegan and Chris Barber, amongst others. The popularity of skiffle in Britain was replaced in the late ’50s by rock’n'roll, and that’s where the Duffs’ music fits in better in comparison. Skiffle-influenced, definitely, but not REALLY true skiffle. And they do a cover of a skiffle song (“Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour on the Bedpost Overnight”). Merseybeat is probably the best way to describe their sound, since that style featured a driving, melodic sound that was a hybrid of American rockabilly and R&B, and British skiffle. So the Duffs are a unique thing as there are very few American Merseybeat-revival bands.
I think the similarity between the Duffs and the Pirates is unmistakable, not only in the music but the whole “pirate” motif. If you like the Duffs sound, you should definitely seek out some Johnny Kidd & The Pirates.
Nope, we’re definitely not a Skiffle band. Merseybeat is the better comparison, as Kopper pointed out, but I do think we rock a little harder and louder than a Brit Beat band from the early 60s. What I tell people is we’re Merseybeat Revivalists. The really fun part of being in this band is that absolutely NO ONE is playing this stuff right now, especially not in St. Louis, so it all sounds new and fresh, but somehow familiar at the same time. I chalk that up to the fact that a lot of the people we cover (Kidd, Gene Vincent, Cliff Richard, Simon Scott… even Ricky Nelson!) have been forgotten to some extent, even though these songs have been around for, what, 40 years+ now?
oh wicke, yeah baby yeah
[...] Long John Thomas and the Duffs have been around town for a while now and they play a kind of music that you just don’t hear much anymore. This is the second video of them I posted of them. You can see the first here. [...]
first off who cares about long jon silver and the doofs? there’s more important bands out there today that have depth and value, not these guys they’re silly, bands like distured, nikleback 3doors down puddle of mudd, bands like that don’t smile at the camera they look serious, they have tribal tats around thier arms some piercings some type of new fancy sport shoe you can pump up or something, and some long baggy shorts too maybe. not black heeled beatle boots and tight pants. plus they sing about girls and have catchy rythm and blues melodies, not discohdant tunnings sour melodies and angry lyrics about being depressed and weak and not being able to deal with freewill and rock n roll from the 1950′s is evil and sinful down with ljt and the doofs!