THE HOMBRES

“Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out)”

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One of my favorite quotes about rock music comes from an interview I heard with Tom Petty. He said, “The important thing to keep in mind about rock ’n’ roll is that none of it was ever meant to be any good.” Indeed, more so than the Tin Pan Alley pop and Big Band jazz that preceded it, rock was disposable. Meant to capture a moment, and provide a crucible for rebellion, perhaps, but never to be taken too seriously. Elijah Wald strikes a similar theme in his book How the Beatles Destroyed Rock ’n’ Roll. Well, there’s very little rock that is more disposable—indeed, more trashy—than The Hombres’ Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out). And that’s what makes it great!

The Hombres formed in Memphis in 1966 and were comprised of Jerry Lee Masters (bass), Gary McEwen (guitar), B.B. Cunningham (organ and lead vocals) and Johnny Hunter (drums). McEwen, Cunningham and Hunter had all played together in a touring line-up of Ronnie and the Daytonas (cf. “Little G.T.O.”). Shamed by posing as a band with a hit, McEwen and Cunningham set out to write a single and with assistance from Masters and Hall, came up with “Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out).” Producer Huey Meaux heard the song, thought it had potential and tracked the single. Released on Verve in the fall of 1967, “Let It Out” eventually hit number 12 on the charts and, as was the practice at the time, an album had to be put together quickly to cash in on the single’s success.

The album opens with the title track and the unforgettable recitation, “A preachment, dear friends, you are about to receive on John Barleycorn, nicotine and the temptations of Eve” (lifted from Red Ingle’s 1947 novelty hit “Cigareetes, Whuskey and Wild Wild Women”). The song is a pastiche of “Gloria” chords, motor city handclaps and faux-Dylan lyrics (indeed, The Hombres claimed “Subterranean Homesick Blues” as their inspiration). It’s a great single and realizes the ambition of Petty’s observation perfectly. The next song, “Little 2+2” is an unabashed rip-off of the aforementioned “Little G.T.O.” Even on an album that’s all filler, it’s an embarrassment. “So Sad” is sort of a Tex-Mex ballad, landing somewhere between the Everly Brothers and Freddy Fender. Next is a smoldering cover of “Gloria” with a wild psychedelic solo featuring a brief quoting of the chorus of the Byrd’s “Eight Miles High.” “Am I High” is a novelty number that sounds a little like Daddy Dewdrop’s “Chick-a-Boom” recorded by Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show while still in middle school. More great garbage! “Mau Mau Mau” is a simple folk rocker with a nearly comatose nonsense chorus, while “This Little Girl” interprets nearly the same material as a garage rock number. Shameless! “Sorry ’Bout That” borrows from “Wooly Bully” and the Coasters with equal ineptitude. The album closes with “It’s a Gas”—not the Mad Magazine song, but something equally stupid. It’s actually the closest thing to “Let It Out” on the album, though not as transcendently trashy.

As noted above, “Let It Out” was a hit in the fall of 1967 (b/w “Go Girl, Go”). One other single was released from the album, “It’s a Gas” (b/w “Mau Mau Mau”). Promo copies of a third single, “Take My Overwhelming Love (And Cram It Up Your Heart)” were distributed by Verve in spring 1968. Both failed to chart and The Hombres had disbanded by the end of the year. Tragically, Hunter died of a self-inflicted gunshot in 1974, while Cunningham was killed while working as a security guard in 2012.

Let It Out has never been issued on CD and only the title track is readily available in the digital domain (though that may be sufficient for all but the most serious pop geeks). The original vinyl release is generally available for between $10 and $20. Those with an interest in trash-rock will not be disappointed!

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Pop Pioneer and “Lost Treasures” writer, Peter Marston is the leader of long-running power pop band, Shplang, whose most recent album, “My Big Three Wheeler” has been described as “the Beatles meet Zappa in pop-psych Sumo match.”  Peter has a new project in 2015 under the name MARSTON.   They will have a track on the upcoming “Power Pop Planet – Volume 5” compilation shipping February, 2016.

You check it out at this link:  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/shplang

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LINKS:

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hombres

All Music Guide:  http://www.allmusic.com/artist/hombres-mn0000074327

Blog Post: http://www.elsewhere.co.nz/fromthevaults/4187/the-hombres-let-it-out-let-it-all-hang-out-1967/

More bio: http://www.oldies.com/artist-biography/The-Hombres.html

VIDEOS:

“LET IT ALL HANG OUT”

“MAU, MAU, MAU”