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THE HERGS
Cadillac (Vince Taylor*) Australia 1967 #5 Adelaide *The writer credit on this record is mistakenly given to Chuck Berry. Single on Parlophone. The arrangement is the one popularised in Scandinavia by The Renegades. Adelaide band The Hergs shared their manager Darryl Sambell with Johnny Farnham, then establishing himself as a solo artist. The Hergs were:
"Hergs" was coined by Peter Luckins and Robin "Eddy" McPherson. You won't find it in any dictionary (unless the definition is "the name of a band from Adelaide").
Drummer David Potter replaced Barry Sincock soon after Cadillac was released, as Barry had been called up to serve in Vietnam. David recalls: The Hergs came to Melbourne as the record started to climb the Adelaide charts, along with other hopeful groups of budding, star struck and very ambitious people who also included Thursday Children from Brisbane and Zoot from Adelaide, together with groups from Western Australia and New Zealand: doing 3 or 4 jobs a night and country gigs. Life was an absolute blast. I would not have missed it for quids. Sources: Information from Hergs drummer David Potter. Further details from Mary McPherson. Further reading: Detailed post on The Hergs at Garage Hangover drawing on information from original Hergs drummer Barry Sincock. Thanks to Michael for suggestion.
THE RENEGADES
Cadillac (Vince Taylor [Arr. by Kim Brown - Denys Gibson - Graham Johnson - Ian Mallett]) UK 1964 Influential version *Writer credits on this record are to members of The Renegades who arranged the Vince Taylor song. Single by Birmingham band popular and influential in Finland (where Cadillac was a hit) and in other parts of Scandinavia and Europe. More on The Renegades: Trans-World 60s Punk has Renegades discographies from Finland, The Netherlands and Italy as well as a band biography. Dutch site De Sixties Gouden Jaren Van De Popmuziek has the lyrics of Cadillac and a sleeve shot. 
VINCE TAYLOR & THE PLAY-BOYS
Brand New Cadillac (Vince Taylor) UK 1959 Original version Vince Taylor (Brian Holden, 1939-1991) was a London-born rock'n'roll singer whose family moved to the US in the mid-50s after his sister married an American. He returned to England and launched his recording career in 1958, but he was signed to a French record label after appearing in Paris in the early 60s. Vince Taylor stayed in France pursuing an often troubled career until the early 80s, when he moved to Switzerland. Personnel on Brand New Cadillac included two future Shadows, Brian 'Licorice' Locking and Brian Bennett, as well as Joe Moretti, of Johnny Kidd & the Pirates fame. Earlier than this, future Beatles associate Tony Sheridan had briefly been a Play-Boy. Vince Taylor features in Van Morrison's song Goin' Down Geneva (Back On Top, 1999): Vince, Vince Taylor lives here, nobody's even heard of him Just who he was, just where he fits in. References: Vince Taylor at The Van Morrison website [archived page]; Vince Taylor biography at Black Cat Rockabilly. Brand New Cadillac history at The Originals and versions at Second Hand Songs. Further reading: Jean Mercier's Vince Taylor website [archived version]; JoeMoretti.org; The Pre-Shadows Recordings of Brian Bennett [archived page]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Between them, The Originals and Second Hand Song websites list versions of Cadillac (or Brand New Cadillac) by The Shamrocks (1965), The Hep Stars (1965), De Maskers (1965), Liquorice John Death [Procol Harum] (1970), Roberto (1977), Crapule De Luxe (1978), The Clash (1979), Milkshakes (1990), Brian Setzer Orchestra (1994), Poonanny (1998), Joe Grushecky (1999), Incognegro (1999), and Phantom Rockers (2003). Corrections or comments? Contact the writer. |