Eleven years ago on this LOUIE LOUIE website, I created a special “That’s Cool- That’s Trash” award for Phil Milstein to acknowledge the discovery of a LOUIE LOUIE recording that he found in a garbage can.
A tape was found with the name “Gidget & Ghandi.” We couldn’t figure out if was a real band or just random title tacked onto a cassette label.
In 2007, Mike Hintze found a reference to Gidget & Ghandi in the book “The Phish Companion: A Guide to the Band and Their Music” by the Mockingbird Foundation.
According to a listing in the book, Gidget and Ghandi performed on Friday, April 21 1989, at The Front, in Burlington, VT. The event was The Rock Rumble band competition, which included Phish and a number of other bands. This suggests that Gidget and Ghandi was from somewhere near Burlington.
There are also a couple of references on the web to Gidget and Ghandi playing in the 1989 and 1990 Rock Rumbles at the Front. The page is about Burlington area bands, so this supports the notion that they are from around Burlington.
Now, it looks like we’ve the official word on the band from an actual band member…
John Miller writes:
I was the keyboard player on that cut, and played keyboards & accordian with Gidget & Ghandi for its entire run. The version on this mp3 is way sped up. I will email a more accurate-speed version… we were going for a “soca” flavor.
On the night of April 21, 1989 we ended our set with a raucous version of LL, and were told that then entire set had been recorded on DAT as part of our reimbursement for participating in the “RUMBLE.” The tape in question has never, to my knowledge, surfaced anywhere.
We had brought the crowd to a fever pitch with this LL, and at that point we were #2 seeded in the big “Rumble” so we were attempting to create an almost “can’t follow that” environment for the front runner band— Phish.
They took the stage, and I must admit that they took it up a notch by opening with a blistering cover of Hendrix‘s “let me stand next to your fire.” Gawd, what a night that was! Phish took 1st prize (a recording session) and we took 2nd (a lot of gear). Third place went to the Hollywood Indians fronted by Ethan Azarian, now of Austin, Texas I believe.
Anyway, the concept or that LL was something I came up with after a vacation in Monserrat, West Indies after hearing Arrow for the first time. What made it work was the amazing lead vocal and guitar chop by Ron McCormack, who has disappeared from the radar of every band member. we hope he is well and still singing. Maybe he will find this site by googlin’ G&G.
The band members were Myself, John Miller; Tim Baker:drums; David Sousa:bass (now a zydeco accordian player in LA area); Gus Ziesing: sax (now plays accordian with Mango Jam).
The new MP3 is just the same as on the website, but slowed down to its correct tempo!
I remember this recording, as it was early in the process of working up the song and I was trying all different keyboard fx and Ronnie was still singing in his “sketch” voice. This was definitely recorded in a practice session.
If there is any interest, I do have a live recording that is fully matured with congas added.
What I would really like to hear is if someone has found the Rumble tape of Gidget & Ghandi… Phish phans????
Thanks to John Miller, we now have an official recording of Gidget & Ghandi doing LOUIE LOUIE.
Click HERE to download this recording.
